July 2018 – The upgraded 2018 Kia Sportage features a range of enhancements to cement its position as the brand’s flagship SUV and its best-selling model in Europe. The new Sportage pairs an updated exterior and interior design with new safety and infotainment technologies, as well as efficient new powertrains complying with future emissions standards. Upgrades to the Sportage range also include modifications to GT Line models.

The car’s advanced new EcoDynamics+ 48V diesel mild-hybrid powertrain is the first to be launched as part of Kia’s global powertrain electrification strategy. With this development, Kia becomes the first manufacturer to offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric and 48-volt mild-hybrid technology across its full model line-up. Kia will launch 16 advanced powertrain vehicles by 2025, including five new hybrids, five plug-in hybrids, five battery-electric vehicles and, in 2020, a new fuel-cell electric vehicle.

More than 131,000 examples of the Sportage were purchased by European customers in 2017, representing a quarter of the brand’s total European sales. One Sportage was sold every 69 seconds globally in 2017, making it Kia’s international best-seller. The five-millionth Sportage was built in March 2018, three months into the car’s 25th year on sale, following its introduction in 1993. The Sportage for Europe is produced at Kia’s manufacturing facility in Žilina, Slovakia.

Emilio Herrera, Chief Operating Officer for Kia Motors Europe, commented: “The Sportage has been a major contributor to Kia’s growth in recent years, both globally and here in Europe. As the C-SUV segment continues to expand, the Sportage has introduced hundreds of thousands of European motorists to the Kia brand, and it now accounts for one in four Kia cars sold across the region.

“As our flagship SUV in Europe, the Sportage represents the best of Kia’s brand values – great design, innovative technologies, and high quality. The upgraded model remains as compelling as ever, with our first diesel mild-hybrid powertrain, a refreshed design, and a series of new technologies to boost safety, comfort and convenience.”